I spent decades figuring out lifework that brought me joy and fun and fulfillment.

You don’t want to wait decades. You want a map to your best future NOW.

You want a powerful, well-cared for, and efficient vehicle for your journey.

You need a mission statement, and I promised to help you craft one.

So, get ready!

Remember, you don’t need an exact destination for lifework, just a region, a country, an area. Don’t limit potential joy, creativity, and fun.

Again, what does a good mission statement include?

1-It must be about you as Human Being as much as a human doing, positioning you for constant growth.

2-It must be a prospect that brings you joy every day.

3-It must involve work that’s so immersive, you lose track of time.

4-It must, after a specific and reasonable amount of training, be something that you’re efficient at, (corresponding to the 80/20 rule, such that you can do 80% of your most important work in 20% of the time needed).

5-It must provide a balanced lifestyle with your most important values, and pervasive health in every respect, in your relationships, your physical well-being, and your emotional and spiritual situation.

6-It must give you plenty to work with and plenty of choices on how to SUPPORT your mission, but specific enough so that you know when you’ve gone off track.
So, those qualities above support you as a Human Being.

Your Mission Statement from the Ground Up:

Where to begin?

First, do what I call the “Magic Wand” exercise. Close your eyes, and grasp the power to spend every day EXACTLY IN THE WAY(S) THAT BRING YOU HAPPINESS.

Okay, let’s say you came up with ten ways. Write them down.

That’s the “floor” of your mission statement document.

Okay, take those floor items (“Activities”), and see if any of them go together. Cluster any that do go together, but don’t get rid of any that stand on their own.

Now, you have your rooms. Let’s call those “Categories”.

Now, more specifics.

Want to work with a lot of people?

Want employees?

Want to work in a particular part of the world? No particular place?

Want to work the same time every day?

Let’s call those issues “Qualities”, or to continue with the metaphor of where you are living, the “Lifestyle”.

Activities: I realized that I loved writing of all kinds and creativity that went with it, from blog posts, to direct mail, to fiction, poetry, playwriting, even writing speeches. But I also loved interviewing people, chances to be on the stage, opportunities to perform, even direct.

Qualities: portability, free time to be with family and friends, autonomy, flexibility of opportunity, time to travel.

Mission: I realized that ONE thing tied all this together, what made me happiest since I was a kid: TELLING STORIES OF EVERY KIND. All these activities supported living in that neighborhood. For me, that’s “True North”; I can always reclaim ownership of my life after even the shortest of detours.

So, Why Wait?

I know this can seem overwhelming, but if I can do it, so can you. Besides, aren’t you worth it?

Why should you work for companies that have mission statements when you put off your own?

How much longer are you going to let the clock tick down on that most precious of resources, time?
Remember, these ticks are the bomb of inaction, when you get to the end of your life and you discover you were busy, but ultimately unproductive.

Do you want that explosion of unhappiness at the end of your life, knowing that you knew or could have known where True North was, but you turned away from the quest and ultimately, the destination?

The answer to your purpose, like all the best and most important answers to your life, lies within.

Lars Nielsen is a free-lance copywriter with a unique selling voice from the cadence and imagery developed through poetry, playwriting, fiction, radio, and comedy. Go to www.larsnielsencopywriting.com and see how Ultimate Influence Copywriting can tell compelling stories for your business, your speeches, your ideas, and your life.